“We’re not here to roast some marshmallows around a fire… we’re here to party!” LZZY HALE shouted to an already ecstatic crowd. The Garage in Glasgow was a far cry from the arenas that she and JOE HOTTINGER were used to filling with their band HALESTORM, especially having headlined the Opus Stage at Download just two days earlier. With countless hits and a legacy already firmly cemented in modern rock, a more intimate approach was looking to be a welcome break. Judging by the

Some bands clearly need no introduction. VOIVOD are clearly progressive thrash metal legends, and are definitely capable of selling clubs wherever they go. Pair them with blackened thrash heroes MIDNIGHT, and an appetising yet bizarre menu is set. Unusually, Rebellion hosted this co-headline monolith which is strange as the iconic Manchester venue rarely hosts shows where more than one headliner is involved in, so not only is the lineup slightly random, with having blackened

Manchester has never struggled to produce exciting guitar bands, but right now there feels like something particularly special brewing in the city. Among the new wave of artists helping shape that resurgence, PYNCHER continue to establish themselves as one of its most intriguing voices. Following the promise of debut EP Every Town Needs A Stranger, upcoming EP I Really Mean It This Time doesn’t simply build on that foundation, it reinforces it with sharper songwriting, bigger

ZERUEL is an artist as mysterious as he is prolific. With the release of only one EP, he’s already been opening for groups like DEAFHEAVEN on their UK and EU tour alongside PORTRAYAL OF GUILT, and also shoegaze hall of fame-ers LSD AND THE SEARCH FOR GOD, whose studio discography ironically contains less tracks than the upcoming ZERUEL album this review is about. Some accounts refer to “him” as a singular artist, others refer to “them” as a band. It’s hard to know what the in

It's well and truly festival season - with a few major ones already having just past - and we're seeing tons of subsequent announcements across the board. Mainly upcoming tours across the UK and Europe, but we've had quite a few albums, and of course, singles. Here's what we've been listening to lately: As It Is - Live, Laugh, Love Los Angeles Confronting the ever worsening political climate in vocalist Patty Walters' home country, AS IT IS have chosen to release a final sing

On 11th August 2007, in a park in Bacup, Lancashire, Sophie Lancaster and her boyfriend, Rob, were assaulted by a group of 5 boys. After this brutal, unprovoked attack against their appearance, Sophie was then hospitalised and passed away at the age of twenty on 24th August 2007. As a result of this assault and previously witnessing the abuse that Sophie had received, her mother, Sylvia Lancaster, established The Sophie Lancaster Foundation. To this day, the work of the found

The pleasure of your company is requested this festival season for a banquet of sound oozing with decadence and baroque pop delights. Meet THE LAST DINNER PARTY - a London-based indie-rock and pop band playing the main stage at the Isle of Wight Festival this June. The band are no stranger to the music scene, having played the festival back in 2023, and touring globally since their first show at The George Tavern in 2021. Their earliest commercial success can be credited to

This was to be a night of firsts. First tours, first time touching down on UK soil, first live experience of already loved bands, but what was familiar was the energy in the room buzzing as five-hundred people filed in, every inch of the venue filled shoulder to shoulder with excited gig goers, the electrifying anticipation of a night to remember hanging in the atmosphere. Taking to the modest sized stage that seemed as if it wouldn’t be big enough to house this five piece gr

It’s been noted all too often over the past several months that 2026 is very much the year of the “comeback album”. A band releasing their first great project in years (decades, in one or two cases) is one thing, but a band releasing their first new project in a long time is a different thing entirely. Enter WARNING, whose previous album, 2006’s Watching From A Distance is hailed as one of the greatest records in the doom metal subgenre. It’s easy to see why it’s endured too,

A few months after the release of their album FADED INTENTIONS in November 2025, FALSE REALITY, a mosh pit ready, hardcore piece from London provides fans with extra goodies. Comprised of vocalist Rachel Rigby, guitarist Dave Connolly, bassist Joe Cornwell, and drummer Louis Dale, the band although fresh is already gaining traction with household names such as SPEED featuring on their first album. FADED FEATURES takes a select few from FADED INTENTIONS and baptizes them into

Bringing energy, fun and addictive anthems, the debut album from pop-punk rising stars DOUBLE XP, All A Game is packed with nostalgic moments that feel like finding an old iPod Nano loaded with all the songs that defined a generation. Hailing from New York, DOUBLE XP are a four-piece band that have clearly found their sound and committed to it. Head-nodding and toe-tapping tunes make up the backbone of this album, utilising everything that pop-punk is renowned for. Fast-paced

A common sentiment in some music circles over the past several years is a yearning for the days where artists could simply release an album every year. Of course, the current streaming-based music landscape makes this extremely difficult for many. But it hasn’t stopped the Canadian avant-garde and drone metal group, BIG|BRAVE, from dropping an album every year since 2023. Granted, last year’s OST was entirely drone and electroacoustic, inspired in no small part by guitarist M

Walking into Deaf Institute, the first thing that stood out was how little space there was on stage. With two drum kits already set up and equipment squeezed into every available corner, it felt like all three bands would have a challenge on their hands before a note had even been played. As the venue slowly filled, a selection of DAVID BOWIE tracks played over the speakers before ROBBIE WILLIAMS' Let Me Entertain You welcomed the first support act to the stage. Opening the n

There’s a rooftop somewhere in the UK where four Australians are opening presents. HEADWRECK, consisting of Connor Hickman, Jamo Benadie, Dayne Paix, and Colby Horton, have apparently become the kind of band that interviewers bring gifts to. When the question of arriving empty-handed comes up, Colby barely misses a beat. “Yeah, actually, for the privilege of interviewing HEADWRECK, you must present us with one offering each.” It sets the tone for everything that follows. It’s

The passing of Steve Albini in 2024 was a shock for the entirety of the music world, no less Japanese post-rock group MONO, who he had worked closely alongside for the best part of twenty years - ever since 2004’s Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined. Going into the upcoming Snowdrop, with a key player missing, it almost feels like a necessity to pay tribute to this long-time partnership with the man who helped bring their most iconic albums to li

As music continues to revive beloved genres from decades past, the return of a full-blooded rock ’n’ roll record felt inevitable. DES ROCS has always embraced the grit and fearlessness that comes with owning rock. When all hope has dissipated and you are longing for resilience, To Hell and Back invites a play-through. Launching the third album, containing 11 tracks, listeners are guided through a journey of self discovery and Danny Rocco's artistic expression. Each song takes

Few bands in modern alternative music have built a connection with their audience quite like TWENTY ONE PILOTS . Formed in Columbus, Ohio by Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun , the duo have spent over a decade blending hip hop, alternative rock, indie and electronic music into something uniquely their own. Their songs are deeply introspective yet often delivered on some of the biggest stages in the world. Across albums such as Vessel , Blurryface , Trench and Clancy , the band hav

Two years in the making but with an incredible 30 years of seasoned talent behind it, Sacramento band FOREIGN FILM have cultivated their debut record A Love Letter, incorporating hints of their hardcore roots with their more prevalent shoegaze influences, all melded together into a sound individual from anything they’ve tried before. The original creation of WILL HAVEN’s Jeff Irwin, through his early stages of exploring sound he gradually brought over other members of WILL H

GUILT TRIP have carved their name into the steely genre of hardcore metal and it’s not hard to see how they’ve built their fanbase and success, through tirelessly developing and polishing their sound to an endless string of tours and festival slots, as well as lifting up the local Manchester metal scene and supporting worthwhile causes. Formed from the Manchester, Northern, and Midlands scenes, GUILT TRIP have solidified their place at the top of an ever-expanding scene with

Since forming in 2018, Massachusetts band LOVEWELL have steadily dropped singles over the years as well as 2022 EP Around The Flowers, exploring a mix of genres and developing their signature sound. That sound has officially reached new heights on their debut album Everything You Ever Wanted, a collection that sees the four-piece blending their hardcore roots with alternative sounds and hypnotic vocals for an unexpected and entirely enjoyable sound. Focusing on grunge rhythms